The e-cig, shall we talk about it in a few years? We tell you all about the rise of the electronic cigarette!

The origins of the electronic cigarette

The electronic cigarette, as we know it today, was born in China in 2003. Its creator, Hon Lik, was a pharmacist addicted to cigarettes who wanted to break his addiction. Forced to acknowledge the ineffectiveness of nicotine patches given his very high nicotine needs, he developed a revolutionary method, as it was progressive and tailored to each smoker's profile! The very first electronic cigarette was commercialized in China in 2004, before achieving unprecedented success. Its commercialization was then extended worldwide from 2005, and the e-cigarette arrived on the French market in 2010.

E-cig: an explosive but controversial launch in France

The e-cig, which promises to reduce addiction to tobacco and to save money, was initially met with a degree of suspicion in France. From 2011 onwards, the first specialist vape shops began to open on French soil. Many entrepreneurs believed in the potential of the e-cig and decided to follow the trend. Between 2012 and 2014, the electronic cigarette market experienced a true boom and brands multiplied across the country. By 2014, the e-cigarette had already won over more than 1 million users, according to the French Observatory of Drugs and Drug Addiction.

In its early days, very little was known about this new consumer product, perceived more as a curiosity than as a genuine solution against smoking. Indeed, no sufficiently relevant study had yet truly proven the effectiveness of the electronic cigarette in smoking cessation, and it began to divide the opinions of health specialists; who questioned its potential toxicity, as well as the long-term effects resulting from its use. In the absence of information, the WHO warned against the e-cig by publishing a statement in 2013. According to the organization, it could be a potential gateway to nicotine dependence among non-smokers and young people, and would be no less harmful than cigarettes. These uncertainties led consumers to gradually lose interest in the electronic cigarette; so much so that sales dropped sharply between 2014 and 2016. 

The pharmaceutical and tobacco industries are also concerned about the speed at which the e-cig has won over users; establishing itself as a major competitor by driving down sales of cigarettes and nicotine substitutes. Indeed, both lobbies are putting pressure to ensure the e-cig market benefits them, by invoking the need to regulate vaping as a tobacco product or as a medicine.

Revival of the vape market in 2016

In 2016, the French government implemented a European directive aimed at regulating the vape market, by imposing strict health standards across all European countries; this is the TPD (Tobacco Products Directive). Thanks to this directive, the market became considerably more professional and electronic cigarette sales picked up again. In 2017, the government also banned the use of the e-cig in certain public places (educational establishments and places reserved for the reception, training or accommodation of minors, enclosed or open workplaces for collective use, and public transport). 

A study by INPES (National Institute for Prevention and Health Education) shows that between 2010 and 2014, an initial decline in the number of daily smokers was recorded: 29.10% in 2010, compared to 28.2% in 2014. Furthermore, according to ANSP (National Public Health Agency), the e-cig enabled at least 700,000 people to quit smoking between 2010 and 2017. Finally, the latest studies on the subject have shown that the e-cig is far less harmful than the traditional cigarette and also presents itself as the most effective means to stop smoking.

The unprecedented success of the e-cig since 2018

According to the Xerfi institute, vape product sales (e-cigs and e-liquids) literally exploded in 2018, recording a growth of 21%! This phenomenal growth allowed France to become the 3rd largest global e-cig market, behind the USA and the United Kingdom. Still according to Xerfi, the French vape market, valued at 820 million euros in 2018, is expected to continue growing by 5 to 10% per year to reach 1.3 billion euros by 2023!

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Feel free to consult our article about the location of the electronic cigarette and e-liquid shop Le Vapoteur Discount!

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